The Old Man at the Railroad Crossing and Other Tales

Unique among William Maxwell''s celebrated books and the sixth Nonpareil volume in Godine''s campaign to restore his work to general circulation the twenty-nine tales of this adroit collection have a time-lessness that marry them to the ancient tradition of the tale told aloud. While modern enough in locale and context they are as old as humanity itself in what concerns them. They are always carried by the voice of the storyteller and so depend as folk and fairy tales do on the magic of the speaking human voice on human experience brought to essences and on the quick and deft detail. Such telling is fraught with great dangers but not where as with William Maxwell artistry long proven prevails.